Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-07-01

without rs within. First of all-that was the
day after John's departure-two or three
loyal Beers and AN English storckecpcr from
Lake Christie, in New Scotland, outspanued
on the place and came and implored Filas
Croft to fly for his life into Natal while there
was yet time They said that the Beers
would certainly shoot any Englishmen who
might be sufficiently defenselcss. But the old
man would not listen.
~ an an Englishman-civs Romanus
SUM- he said, in his sturdy fashion, "and |
do not believe that they will touch me, who
have lived among them for twenty years
AT any rate, | am not going to run away and
leave my place at the mercy of pack of
thieves. If they shoot me they will have to
reckon with England for the deed, so | ex
pect that they will leave me alone. Bessie
can go if she likes, but ! shall stop here and
see the row through and there's an end of it.
Wherein, Bessie having fatty declined to
bulge an inch, the loyalists departed in n
hurry, metaphorically wringing their hands
at such an exhihition of ill placed confidence
and in>ular pride. This little scene occurred
at dinner time and after dinner old Sias
proceeded to hurl defiance at his foes in an
other fashion. Going to IA cupboard i'll his
bedroom. he extracted an exceedingly large
Union Jack, and promptly advanced with it
to an open spot between two of the orange
trees in front of the house, where a flagstaff
was planted, formed of very tall young
blue gum, in such position that it could DO
seen for miles around. On this flagstaff it
was old Silas' habit to hoist the Union Jack
on the queens birthday, Christmas day and
other state occasions.
Nov, Jantje,' he said, when he had bent
on the flag. run her up, and I'll cheer" and,
accordingly, as the broad flag hoated out on
| the breeze, he took off his hat and waved ii,
and gave such a hip hip, hurrah" i'll his
stentorian tones that Bessie came running
| down from the house to see what was the
matter. Nor was lie satisfied with this, but
having obtained a ladder he placed it against
the post and sent Jantje up it, instructng
him to fasten the rope on which the flag was
bent about fifteen feet from the ground, so
that nobody should get at it to haul it down.
"There,' he said, I've nailed my colors to
the mast. That will show these gentry that
an Englishman lives here.
"Confound their politics,
Illustrate their knavish tricks
God save the queen"
aAmen." said Bessie, but she had her doubts
about the wisdom of that Union Jack which,
whenever the wind blew, strcamed out a
visible defiance not calculated to soothe the
breast of excited patriots.
Indeed, two days after that, II patrol of
three Beers, spying the ensign while yet a
long way off, came galloping up in hot haste
to see what it meant. Silas saw them COM
ing, and, taking his rifle in his hand, went
and stood beneath the flag, for which he had
an almost superstitious veneration, feeling
sure that they would not dare to NEEDLE
either with him or it.
"What is the meaning of this, ON Sias.'
asked the leader of the three men, with all of
whom he was perfectly acquainted
at means that an Englishman lives here,
JAM" was the answer
"Haul the dirty rag down." said the man.
81 will see you id first!n replied old
Sias.
Thereupon the Boer dismounted and made
for the flagstaff, only to find Uncle Croft's
rifle III a direct line with his chest.
you will have to shoot me first, JAM ~ he
said, and thereon, after some consultation,
they left him and went away.
The fact was that notwithstanding that
he was an Englishman, Silas Croft was very
popular with the Beers, most of whom had
known him since they were children. and a
member of whose volksraad he had twice
been. 1t was to this personal popularity that
he owed the fact that he was not turned out
of his house and forced to choose between
serving against his countrymen or being I'M.
prisoned and otherwise maltreated at the
very commencement of the rebellion
For fortnight or more after this flag episode
nothing of any importance happened, and
then came the news of the crushing defeat al
Laing's Mex. At first Silas Croft would moi
believe the news. NO general could have
been so mad" he said; but soon the report
was amply confirmed from native sources.
Another week passed, and with it came the
news of the British defeat at Ingogo. The
first they heard of 1t was on the morning Of
Feb S, when Jantje brought Kafir up t.
the veranda at breakfast time. This Katii
said that he had been watching the fight from
a mountain; that the English We're completely
hemmed in and fighting well, but that "thei
arms were tired" and that they would all 1t
killed at night time The Beers, he said
were not suffering at all-the English coulC
not shoot straight" After hearing this thel
passed sufficiently miserable day and even
{ ing. About II o'clock that night, however
a native spy Mr. Croft had dispatched cam
back with the report that the English genera
had got safely back to camp, having suffered
heavily and abandoned his wounded, many o
whom had died in the rain, for the nigh
after the battle was wet.
Then came another long pause, dunn!
+ which no reliable news reached them, thoug
the air was thick with rumors, and old Siia
Q was made happy by hearing that large reen
forcements were Oh their way from England
"Ah, Bessie, my dear, they will soon sim
I another tune now" he said, in great glee
"and what's more it's about time they did
/ can't understand what the soldiers hav
been about can't indeed
And so the time wore heavily along till a
last there came a dreadful day which BesSi
will never forget as long as she lives. 1t wa
: the Goth of February-just week before tn
+ final disaster at Majuba Hill Bessie wa
Z standing idly on the veranda, looking dow
the long avenue of blue gums where tn
n shadows formed dark network to catch tn
wandering rays of light The place locke
very peaceful, and certainly no one coul
q have known from its appearance that
bloody war was being waged within fel